Full DREAM 9 report

Full DREAM 9 report from last night

Olympia DREAM 9, Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, Japan 05/26/2009

Oh God it's the K-1 commentators with the Aussie guy. Least Guy Metzger is in the other chair. Sellout house @ 18K+.

Super Hulk (it's embarrassing just to type that) GP Opening Round

Ikuhisa Minowa (195.8) vs. Bob Sapp (319)

Okay, that's actually really light for Sapp. Has he been *gasp* TRAINING? He's always tended to pretty much run over small Japanese submission wrestlers and I guess he's likely to this time too, unless Minowa can latch onto an ankle or something, and doesn't try sprinting laps around the perimeter of the ring like he did against Zulu Jr., which only gassed HIM out.

Telecast jumps right into this fight. Sapp bowls Minowa over into HG and actually tries a Kimura. Minowa gives up his back but reverses into Sapp's guard. Minowa grabs a leg and sinks the ankle lock and it's over.

Choi Hong Man (330) vs. Jose Canseco (253)

Gimme a break. Choi has looked horrible since he had the operation, can't move in the ring any more, punches look like spaghetti, doesn't fight like the same guy who fought Fedor... but Canseco got KOed by a football player and couldn't whup Danny Partridge. In a fight with one minute rounds with 90 seconds rest. Neither guy had any actual training for this fight btw, both just worked on their own (or didn't).

Dear God here we go. Jose in to 'Wild Thing' billed from Cuba (his video shows Castro) and carrying the bat. His corner is his GF. They say he's getting six figures for this. Think he coulda paid for some training and cornermen, wouldn't ya. Here's Choi.

Hey, Canseco ain't doing that bad. Moving around and actually landing a little and staying out of trouble... for almost 1 minute 36 seconds till he stumbles and Choi drops him and pounds him out. Canseco better than expected though.

Jan “The Giant” Nortje (352) vs. Sokoudjou (224.4)

Sok 20 pounds heavier than we saw him before, which may just be not cutting, but... you know. Nortje is a big fat guy who CAN punch well enough to have KOed Sapp, which means... uhh, nothing. I think we see the magical return of Super Sok under Japan's Red Sun. *TIIIIIIIMBEEEERRRRRRRRRR*

Here comes Nortje. Sefo in his corner. His music has more 'fucks' in 4 bars than Dana White says in a month. 6'11 and career heaviest but was 400+ a little while back. 2-5 in MMA, 9-18 in K1, 10-0 (9) in boxing. Here's Sok. Lions roaring and drums. Right knee taped.

Jan lefty. Misses a kick bad. Sok body kicks and shoots to a body lock. Wanted a leg dive but nada. Nortje grabs the rope twice and lands a knee. Ref break. Sok heavy leg kick. Again. Again. Overhand right and shoots. Nortje grabs the rope again. Sok takes him down anyway. G&Ps him out. Keeps it up a little after the stoppage, almost like... roid rage. Near riot in the ring as Sefo charges in. Super Sok is reborn. Whatta shock.

Gegard Mousasi (217.8) vs. Mark Hunt (292)

Mousasi THIRTY pounds heavier than we last saw him in MMA, but you know what? He's a big, tall guy and will have everything but weight on Hunt. Mousasi coming off a KO win in kickboxing over highly rated K-1 fighter Musashi on the same card where Hunt was 1 punch KOed by middleweight Manhoef and he's in no better shape now. Hunt claims he's going to sub Mousasi. This is probably a joke. These guys are the favorites to win the whole thing. Which I expect Mousasi will.

Here's Hunt. Looking less sloppy than before in spite of the weight. 4 losses in a row. Here's Mousasi. Gets a nice pop. No visible extra weight.

Both righty. Mousasi quick right lead/leg trip KD into SM. Tries for a Kimura. Drops body shots and elbows and knees to the body. After the arm again. Hunt taps. It's over. Wow. Mousasi looks even better than expected.

GP will conclude New Years Eve. It will be Minowa vs. Choi and Mousasi vs. Sok in the semis (too bad as that should be the final). Not as much of a zoo as it could have been.

The Aussie guy keeping the bad jokes to a minimum. He's not bad when he plays it straight. Metzger very good considering he's a DREAM office suit and total shill.

Okay now the arena intro to the card. Guess the SH didn't count which is sorta sensible. Cool video. 'Let Us Entertain You'. Kid's shirt keeps changing as he walks through all the fighters and it ends on him. Again, cannot beat DREAM's production. Ends on the changing graphics on his back tats. Very cool.

Now is the opening ceremony. Screeching Woman in rare form. Huey, Louie and Dewey babble over it, of course.

Superfight (non tourney): Tatsuya Kawajiri (154) vs. J.Z. Calvacante (154)

Now we get serious. This is a great fight on paper. Kawajiri also blasted out a top kickboxer in a kickboxing match on that same card and had a string of great fights last year. JZ has been out injured for over a year and I suspect the ring rust may be the margin of defeat for him here, even though I think he's the more skilled fighter. Kawajiri refused to shake JZ's hand at the weigh ins.

Here's JZ. Radiating 'I'm In Shape'. Jorge Santiago in the corner. Here's Kawajiri. House rocks with his entrance. Massive pop. JZ slightly favored. They do touch gloves. All three commentators pick JZ.

Both righty. JZ more accurate early. Catches a kick and nails him with a left hook. Kawajiri shoots, nada. JZ pills guard with the Guillotine. Kawajiti makes his knees,. JZ rains knees and pulls guard again. Doesn't really have the choke. Kawajiri pops out. HG. JZ stifling Kawajiri's G&P. FG. JZ upkicks. Elevates. Kawajiri still on top. Warned for back of the head. Passes to SM. JZ regains FG. Keeping Kawajiti's shots to a minimum. JZ scrambles up but taken back down. JZ tries Rubber G. Nada. Ref break. Both get yellow cards and will lose 10% of their payoffs. Kawajiri finding the range standing. Beating JZ to the punch. JZ jabs and shoots, nada. Clinch. Kawajiri short knees. Ref break. JZ jabs. Evades a 2-1. Kawajiri finding the range again. JZ high kick. Eats a combo. Kawajiri shoots and gets it. JZ trying Rubber again. Kawajiri pulls up and pounds at the bell. He's ahead at this point.

Aoki, Akiyama and Uno ITH. Aussie panders to Sherdorks by calling Akiyama 'Sexiyama' (there's this whole 'having so much fun pretending we're gay that it makes you wonder' thing over there, don't ask).

Kawajiri sharpshooting. Shoots. Sorta half pulls guard and half gets taken down. HG. Kawajiri tries to mount, JZ out the back door. Up. Clinch. Ref break. Kawajiri landing, good body shot, double leg. Mounts. Thumping away. Center reset. JZ regains HG. Kawajiri passes to side. Drops little shots.

Fight never really took off. JZ was way rusty and Kawajiri reverted to his Middle Period TD/L&P/Lather Rinse Repeat style rather than the Kill Or Be Killed that made his fights in 2008 FotY candidates. Kawajiri should get the UD and does and cuts his promo. Will fight Masato in K-1 in July 13. The commentators all suddenly develop 20/20 Ring Rust Hindsight.

Featherweight GP Quarterfinal Round:

Abel Cullum (137.9) vs. Hideo Tokoro (137.9)

Tokoro subbed back in after losing his first round fight when DJ was injured beating him. If Cullum can repeat his first round performance he should win this, but Tokoro is always tough.

Here's Tokoro's vid. Yeah, janitor, yada yada. Here's Abel. Working the cowboy gimmick again. Comes in as the underdog. Tokoro in. Head shaved, no more anime hair. Aussie guy lies or fucks up and says Tokoro beat DJ in the qualifier. Wrong.

Both righty. Cullum landing long range punches, Tokoro landing low kicks. TD Abel, Tokoro scambles up and lands a knee. Big knee drops Cullum. Tokoro gets a Triangle. Abel ainl;t tapping. Tokoro traps a foot. Now an arm. Loses it, Cullum is out. Riding. Kneeing and pounding. Tokoro reverses. Gets bacl. Mount. Tries top triangle. Abel escapes. Tokoro rides. Cullum turns in into Tokoro's FG. Cullum pounds the body. Idiot commentator #2 says 'body shots are a waste of time'. Tokoro up and out. Cullum landing head shots. Trade low kicks. Cullum pounds a body shot. Double leg into FG. Tokoro tries Omaplata. Nada. Tokoro in Cullum's FG now. Stands out, drops in, Cullum rolls to knee bar. Tokoro counters with head kick and reverses to half nelson. Cullum tried Omaplata. Tokoro gets SM but loses it. Both after leg dives niow. Tokoro grabs the rope to avoid TD and Abel runs him and slams him. Abel gets the ride. Tokoro reverses to mopunt. Cullum sits out. Tokoro tries a sliding knee, nada. Abel tries knee bar, nada. Pounds from the top at the bell. That was an even round and one of the best rounds of the year. Commentators can't seem to decide whether they were predicting a fight like this or not.

Cullum is cut over the eye. Maybe off the sliding knee. Cullum shoots and we're back to the races. Tokoro scrambles to mount, tries arm bar. Knees the head from SM. Cullum gets to 4 point. Tokoro has a choke, loses it. Gets it again and Cullum taps. Great great fight. Aussie guy CYAs and mistranslates (or rather misrepeats what he's being given in his headset because he does not understand Japanese) Tokoro's promo when he thanks DREAM for reinstating him in the tournament despite losing the first fight.

Here's Kruck in the studio with a promo on Joe Warren. Too bad he isn't calling the card. Warren was suspended from amateur wrestling for 2 years for doping violations. Cops to it, no BS. He went pro. Guy couldn't be more confident.

Review of the previous GPs. This is the arena intermission. Some of the DREAM 10 fighters cut promos in the ring. Card will include Filho (*sigh*) vs. Manhoef and Shaolin vs. Aoki. Aoki stripping in the ring and throwing clothes to the audience. Commentators working very hard to diss American MMA. I agree with some of what they say but please. UFC is still the only real majors in the sport. Everybody else is competing for 2nd.

Maeda has been less impressive since losing the WEC title fight to Torres. Makes me wonder about Torres' P4P status, as does his last fight, but I digress. Maeda still figures to win this.

Here's the vid. For some reason set to the Italian Wedding Dance Version of the Godfather theme. Maeda in first. Have to say the Aussie guy does very good career capsules on each fighter as they do their entrances.

Maeda is lefty. Low kick. Catches a kick and TDs and drops shots from standing. Drops into HG. Takaya hanging close. Maeda drops shoulders. Taksya squirms out and up, eats a couple knees. Takaya combo. Maeda slips on a high kick. Lands a jab and left lead. Glove tape coming loose. Takaya right lead raises a lump. Maeda getting wild. Jump knee short, into clinch. Maeda TD. HG. Elbows the thigh. Postures up and drops a right. Still trying to pull out of the HG. Rams a couple knees to the head and Takaya scrambles up and lands a combo and a low kick. Maeda counters back. Starting to land. Takaya counters back. Left hook Takaya, knee Maeda, right Takaya, Meada gets a TD into mount. Takaya is cut. TO. Restart in mount. Takaya regains HG. Stands and drops rights. Upkick Takaya and Maeda drops back into FG. Takaya tries to scramble but Maeda back on top in HG. TO and yellow card to Takaya. Crocodile Dummy shpritzes 'Sexiyama' again. While he's busy pandering, Takaya drops Maeda with a right and G&Ps and the ref steps in.

Masakazu Imanari (138.6) vs. Bibiano Fernandes (138.2)

Hard one to call too but I think Fernandes' BJJ and work ethic and all round game will be too much for Imanari's L&P and leglocks.

Here's the vid. Here's Imanari picking his nose. Classy. Whatever. Fernandes in first. His only losses are to Kid and Urijah. Here's Imanari. Aoki with him. I think his music is Sade and Screeching Woman sings his intro along with it which is kinda... but then you remember what she looks like...

... uhh, anyway, we have a fight here. Imanari lefty. Fernandes immediately catches a kick and scores a flash TD. Imanari telegraphing his punches badly. Fernandes TD and pounds away and gets out before Imanari can grab anything. Another TD. bang bang, back off, take him back down, backs off and kicks the legs. Ref standup. Another TD, bang, back off. Very smart fight. And yet again. Kicking the legs. Imanari should hget a yellow card. Ref standup. Fernandes drops him with right hand. More leg kicks. Another standup. Low kick Fernandes. Imanari misses his again. Imanari telegraphs a left hand and misses. Another flash TD. TO, both warned for inaction. Low kick, left hook body kick Fernandes. Another TD. More leg kicks. Ref standup. Yellow card to Imanari. Fernandes blocks a jump knee and gets SM. Knees the head. Bangs the ear. Knees body and head. Imanari knees the body from the bottom. Bibi bangs the ear. He's way ahead.

Fernandes catches a kick and low sweep flash TD. Imanari just sits down and Fernandes kicks him in the ass. Another TD and low kick from Fernandes. Imanari getting weird, risking a DQ. Low kick Bibi. Imanari playing the fool. Hard low kick Bibi. Another. Another TD and more low kicks. Bibi drops in and almost gets leglocked and pulls out. Clinch. Another TD. More legkicks. Imanari actually butt scooting. YELLOW CARD TO FERNANDES? BULL SHIT. Bibi sharpshooting. Another TD. SM. Stands out, Another TD. Ref standup. Bibi overhand right and another TD. Fernandes by a mile. Judges agree. Imanari should be suspended.

Norifumi “KID” Yamamoto (136.8) vs. Joe Warren (136.8)

This is probably the longest odds on the card and just maybe the livest underdog. Kid is an icon in Japanese MMA but has been out injured (and/or politicked for participating in 'marijuana parties') for a long time, and Warren even though only in his second fight is a world class wrestler out of Team Quest and wrecked the heavily favored ex WEC champ Chase Beebe in the first round of the tourney. If Kid is 100% or close he should just be too all round and have too much experience but if ring rust is there he could be in for a rude awakening.

Vid showing Kid's operation. Ick. '512 Days'. Guess that's how long he's been out. Here's the highlight reel. Here's the broken arm when he tried for the Olympics. More operation. Here's rehab. Here's Warren. Pretty good highlight reel for one fight. Guess that's all the time he gets. Here's Kid hopping up the stairs on the bad leg. So on.

Here we go. Kid in first. Commentators have thankfully shut up for a couple whole minutes now. Major production here on Kid's entry. Huge pop. Here's Warren. They give him production parity, at least. Kid bopping to Warren's music. 'Shoots arrows' at Warren as he gets in the ring.

Warren visibly bigger. Kid lefty. Trade kicks. Front kick Kid. Misses one a slips. Warren shoots. Clinch. Warren knees and uppercuts. Kid knees the body. Warren TD into FG. Warren stands and drives a knee to the lower back. Drops a couiple short shots. Kid just playing defense. Warren slams. Goes body head. Body body head. Knee. Kid pushes him off and Joe drops back in. Another slam and another. Kid cut. And gets a yellow card. Kid kicking and jabs. Right hook. Warren shoots and clinches. Kid kicks body and leg, Right hook as Joe charges. Low kick. Clinch. Kid knees body and leg. Trade body kicks. Kid right as Joe charges. Left. Body kick. Joe taking Kid's best shots. Any one of these is usually a KO. 'Pwning'. Shut up. Warren knees off Thai clinch. Kid knees. Warren knees and uppers. Break. Body kick Kid. Kid low kick. Warren high knee and knee from clinch and right hand and breaks. Front kick Joe. Front kick Kid. Joe gets a half slam into FG. Kid tries high guard. Warren drops a right. Pounds the body. Grinds the forearm. Kid traps an arm, Joe bangs with the other arm. HG. Kid cut in couple places. Close round. Joe acquitting himself REAL well.

Fight is up for grabs. Joe needs a KO to win the decision probably though. Low kick Kid. Joe shoots and eats a right hook. Shoots again. Hard knee by Kid. Joe just keeps coming. Eats a left. Eats a right. Keeps coming. Hooks and uppers from clinch. Knees again. Body kick Kid. Warren eats another upper and gets the TD. Reset in center. Warren drives up and postures to pound. Kid tries an arm bar and Joe knees him in the butt so hard it breaks it. Ref standup. Joe drives again and eats a right hook. Clinch. Joe sorta grabbing trunks. Break. Kid low kick. Joe shoots behind a straight right. Clinch. Kid knees. Joe knees. Joe power TD into HG. Grinds the forearm. Pounds down. PASSES GUARD. Kid tries an arm bar. Joe knees him off.

Fuck. This is CLOSE. I'm sure Kid gets the benefit of the doubt but I'd call this a draw.

Decision... Warren... Yamamoto... WARREN WINS BY SD!!!!!! And Kid didn't look THAT damn rusty, either.

Another intermission before the main, allowing for some highly redundant analysis. Mayhem Bully. Yeah we get it.

Vacant DREAM Middleweight Championship: Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza (184.1) vs. Jason 'Mayhem' Miller (184.8)

Mousasi vacated the tile to go up in weight after beating Jacare in the finals of the tourney via upkick KO. Jacare tooled Mayhem by UD in the semis in a very entertaining grappling extravaganza. Mayhem is a very good grappler. Jacare is one of the best grapplers in the world. I don't see this going any different than their first fight unless Mayhem can make it a stand up war, which he may not win either, but Jacare's chin is a big question mark after the Mousasi loss.

Here's the vid. Both displaying their dancing chops. Fight and training footage on both. More dancing. This is entertaining as hell.

Mayhem in first. What's he gonna do this time? No mask? Boo. Silver track suit. But does lead a dance routine with a dozen Japanese girls in schoolgirl uniforms. WAR PEDO! Vaults over the top rope to a big pop.

What's Jacare got this time? Not Marley. Kinda slow funk samba. Not getting the crowd gatoring as much as usual. Music's a little too slow. Has of course been training with Anderson.

Title fight so national anthems first. As usual in Japan, recorded, instrumental and as brief as possible. I could gladly live the rest of my life without live national anthems. Mayhem snaps a salute. Jacare and his corner actually sing theirs.

Here's the official presentation for the title fight. Mousasi in and relinquishes the belt.

Here we go. Miller says he will fight smarter this time. Both righty, both open jabbing. Miller jabs, Jacare low kicks. Miller right lead, Jacare flash TD. Clinch. Miller cut. Knees the leg. Warned a second time for grabbing the rope. Jacare hook hook high kick counter right. Miller short with uppers. Catches a kick and dumps Jacare. Kicks him in the head illegally and opens a deep cut in the hair line. Doctor checking. Yellow card to Mayhem. Dummy # 2 says it was 'unintentional' BULLSHIT. OBVIOUSLY intentional. Kick was launched WAY after the TD. Mayhem getting his cut worked on meanwhile. The fight is NOT stopped. TD Jacare. Mayhem up. Cut bleeding bad. TO again. I think this is over. Yup. This is gonna be a DQ or an NC. Words pass between them. Jacare is pissed and wants to fight and is having to be held back. Foul is called unintentional and it's a NC and the title remains vacant.

Well, THAT blew. Overall good card though. Mousasi looking like he will be competitive at heavyweight, Warren upsetting Yamamoto, and the great fight between Tokoro and Cullum are the stories here.